1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to chairs. More specifically, it relates to a chair adapted to facilitate putting on and removing one's shoes.
2. Description of Related Art
For the purpose of putting on and removing their shoes, people usually sit on a chair, bed, or other seating area in their bedroom (such as a bench, stool, trunk, or window seat). Some people sit on the floor. Those who have homes with a stairwell in proximity to the room where they get dressed often sit on a stair and place their feet on the next step down, which is an easy-to-reach distance for putting on and removing their shoes.
There is currently no item of furniture with a stationary, attached footrest designed specifically for ease and comfort in putting on and taking off one's shoes. The prior art includes two examples of articles intended for this purpose, but these articles employ retractable footrests, which are difficult to use by the elderly and others who have difficulty reaching their feet because of the bending over that is required. These inventions require the user to bend over and reach down, while already seated, in order to manually extend the footrest.
The combined stool and retractable, single-foot footrest disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,145,931 issued to Subotic requires the user to sit down on a relatively low seat and then bend over to pull out the retractable footrest. Subotic included no arms to help users steady themselves in sitting down or to help the users stand up. Moreover, the retractable footrest has a slanted shoe support, which places one's foot at a difficult-to-reach angle.
The dressing chair disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,505,829 issued to Warnecke also has a retractable, single-foot footrest. Warnecke requires the user to bend over to pull out the footrest, which positions one's foot at a difficult-to-reach angle.
The night stand disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,628,870 issued to Schultz is not designed, as a whole, for putting on and removing one's shoes, but it does include a retractable footrest and slanted foot support, which can be used for this purpose. The seat portion is low, and without arms, and is difficult to use by the elderly and others who have difficulty putting on and removing shoes.
The footrest for chairs disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 155,016 issued to Eberhard has a retractable footrest, which is close to the floor. Its purpose is for resting one's feet while sitting. The footrest is too close to the floor to make one's feet easy to reach for the purpose of putting on and removing one's shoes.
The adjustable chair disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 799,171 issued to Bartlett also has a retractable footrest, which is close to the floor. Bartlett includes a slanted footrest for resting one's feet while sitting.
The footrests for chairs disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 155,524 issued to Lambert has a retractable footrest, which extends out from directly below the seat. Its purpose is for stretching out and resting one's legs while sitting. Lambert could be used for putting on and removing shoes, but this would be difficult because the angle of the footrest extends away from the user and because the footrest is much too close to the seat.
The combined stool and retractable footrest disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,607,946 issued to Price has a footrest, which can be pulled out if the user wants a place to rest his feet while sitting on the stool. The footrest is too far below the stool top to easily reach one's shoes. Moreover, the user is required to first sit down and then bend over to retract the footrest.
The combined chair and apparel cabinet disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,124 issued to Olan has a footrest, which can be pulled out from beneath the seat if the user wishes to extend his or her legs and have a place to rest his or her feet. Because the footrest is only a few inches below the seat, it would be awkward and uncomfortable to use it for putting on or removing one's shoes.
The stool and shoe receptacle disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,447,145 issued to Morrell consists of a stool and storage area for shoes underneath, but has no footrest for putting on or removing one's shoes.
The children's hamper with steps combined disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,658,640 issued to Bayles could be used for the purpose of putting on and removing one's shoes. However, it is not a chair with back and arms, and the hamper platform, which could be used a seat, is low and thus difficult for the elderly or disabled to sit on and then get up again (especially with no arms to assist this process). To modify this hamper to approximate the present invention would not be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art (i.e., the art pertaining to children's hampers); that is, it would not be obvious to modify a children's hamper to make it into a chair.
The chair for children disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 794,461 issued to Mackey consists of two parts. The upper part is a rocking chair for children, and the lower part is a base, which can also be used as a seat. When joined together, these parts make a high chair for children. The lower portion has a slidable drawer underneath the seat. It would be awkward to use this drawer as a footrest: the user would have to bend over and reach down to extend the drawer, and the drawer is open on the top and does not provide a flat surface to be used as a footrest (in other words, it is a drawer, not a footrest).
The footrest disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,051,656 issued to Whitaker consists of a low stool on wheels with a stationary footboard close to the floor and also featuring an angled footrest to be used on someone trying on new shoes in a shoe store. The footrest portion is angled so as to be used by a customer sitting opposite the stool; it is not used by the salesperson sitting on the stool. The angled footrest can be collapsed so as to rest horizontally in the footboard. Although Whitaker did not anticipate this use, the footboard could be used by the person sitting on the stool to put on or remove his or her own shoes. Such usage would be awkward as the footboard is close to the floor, making one's feet difficult to reach. Moreover, the device is a stool, not a chair; the seat is relatively low, and has no arms or back. It would be extremely difficult and unsafe to be used by the elderly or disabled or putting on or removing shoes.
The combined trash receptacle and step stool disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,378,720 issued to Santa Cruz and Gittelman has a platform, which could be used as a seat, and the retractable step stool could be used as a footrest. It is not a chair with a stationary footrest: it has no arms or back, and the step stool would have be manually pulled out from underneath the “seat” to be used as a footrest.
The utility chair disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,765,025 issued to Bakalic et. al. contains drawers for storage underneath the seat, but does not contain a footrest. Nor could the drawers be used as a footrest because they extend out from the sides of the seat, not in front of the seat.
The footstool disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,052,750 issued to Phillips is designed as a footstool to be used in shoe stores. The user (i.e., a customer in a shoe store) sits opposite the footstool, which can then be used (by the customer or salesperson) to put on or remove the customer's shoes. A person could sit on the stool and use the angled footrest portion to put on or remove his or her own shoes. However, this would be awkward and would require a difficult bending-over movement to reach one's shoes, as the footrest is angled in the wrong direction (i.e., away from the stool).
The multi-purpose chair disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,883,317 issued to Davenport consists of a seat with a retractable drawer underneath. To use the drawer as a footrest, it would have be pulled out manually and the user would have to place his or her feet on the top edge of the drawer front or sides. This would be awkward and uncomfortable. The drawer is a drawer; it is not designed as a footrest with a flat surface on which to put one's feet. Moreover, the chair has no arms to assist in sitting down and getting up.
Many people have difficulty in putting on and removing their shoes because of the bending over that is required. This is especially true of the elderly, people who are significantly over-weight, people with back pain or stiffness, and people with other physical limitations or disabilities. Even those without physical problems would welcome the comfort and ease that this invention provides in the daily activity of putting on and removing their shoes.